Method of making insulator racks



Feb. 12, 1935. 1 PEIRCE JR I 1,990,667

METHOD OF MAKING INSULATOR RACKS Filed May 9, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l I k H UM 2 W1 K f m 15 my Il x T t II I 11- 7, 9 --11 I H1 l I l L lg Him lNV OR 3 c. L. PEIRCE, JR

METHOD OF MAKING INSULATOR RACKS Filed May 9, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gu, WA W A M 1935- c. L PEIRCE, JR

METHOD OF MAKING INSULATOR RACKS Filed May 9, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES METHOD OF MAKIN G INSULATOR RACKS Charles L. Peirce, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor of one-half to Hubbard tion of Pennsylvania Application May 9, 1

4 Claims.

This invention relates to insulator racks of the type on which two or more insulators of the spool type are mounted, and to methods of making the same.

An object of this invention is the provision of an insulator rack that may be made as a single or unitary structure, and possess great strength, rigidity and durability.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an insulator rack that comprises essentially a base and a series of spaced insulator support arms disposed normally to and formed integrally with the base by arched bars extending crosswise of the base.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a method of making insulator racks of the type referred to above that shall be conducive to the saving of material and reduction of weight in the finished product.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a method of making insulator racks whereby it is possible to vary the length of the insulator support arms after the same have been formed.

And a still further object of the invention is the provision of a method of making racks that may be carried out in forgings and castings.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be apparent and will, in part, be obvious from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are views in front and rear elevation, respectively, of a plate or bar in the process of forming an insulator rack embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of a finished rack;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views in section, of a partially formed rack, taken on lines IVIV and V-V, respectively, of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of a finished rack as seen looking up at the lower end of the rack of Fig. 3;

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 showing a partially formed rack made in accordance with a modified form of the invention;

Figs. 9 and 10 are views of the partially formed rack of Figs. '7 and 8 on lines IX--IX and X-X, respectively, of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the rack of Figs. '7 and 8 in its completed form.

Throughout the drawings and specification, like reference characters indicate like parts.

The racks illustrated in the drawings may be forged or cast, and in either form the method of and Company, a corpora- 933, Serial No. 670,098

making is essentially the same. For most purposes, the forged rack is preferred, although it is to be understood that the cast rack is intended to be included in the scope of the invention.

For convenience, a description of each of the finished racks will be followed by a description of the method of making the same.

In Figs. 3 and 6, a rack 1 is shown that comprises a base 2 having a plurality of spaced insulator support arms 3 formed integrally with the base. The support arms are perforated or apertured at their outer ends as at 4, to accommodate a bar or pin (not shown) adapted to extend through insulators (not shown) of the spool type, placed between the arms. As may be seen in Fig. 6, each support arm comprises a bar portion 5, in the outer end of which the aperture is pierced, and an arched cross bar 6 that extends transversely of the base 2, preferably in the plane of the bar portion. The ends of the several arched cross-bars terminate at the sides of the base and are integral therewith.

The base of the finished rack approximates two side channels 7 with which the arched bars 6 are integrally formed, said channels being integrally connected at spaced points by arched struts or ties 8.

The dimensions of spool type insulators for which rack 1 is designed, are such as to require that the center-to-center distance or dimension X between the support arms be equal to the distance or dimension Y, as measured from the face of the rack base to the centers of the apertures 4. Thus, dimension Y may be considered as the length of the support arms.

In accordance with the method of this invention, integral supporting racks may be formed in which equality of the aforesaid dimensions X and Y may be conveniently attained; and whereby dimension Y, that is, the length of the support arms, may be made greater or less than the dimension X, or the distance the arms are spaced apart.

Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, depict the steps involved in the method of making rack 1. If the rack is made as a forging, this method comprises hot forging a bar or plate to form a series of longitudinally extending ribs 9 disposed centrally of the longitudinal axis of the bar and a series of cross ribs 10. As shown, corresponding ends of each longitudinal rib merge with a cross rib 10 at substantially the middle thereof, and the ends of the cross ribs terminate at the sides of the bar or plate. In the finished rack, ribs 9 form the bar portions 5 of the support arms and ribs 10 form cross bars-6 thereof.

In the forging operation or in a separate subsequent operation, the ends of the ribs 9, remote from cross ribs 10, may be punched to form the apertures or openings 4.

When the initial forging operation has been performed, the face of the bar or plate isv smooth except forthe connected longitudinal and cross ribs, that have the appearance of embossed inverted Ts. The rear side of the bar alsoshows.

the inverted T formations produced by these ribs.

In the forging operation, the, rear side. QfI the bar or plate is flanged asat 11, along the longitudinal edges to give rigidity and strength.

thereto. The rear side of the bar is also formed with a series of flanges 12 that close on the side flanges 11. formed on the rear side of the bar, and these join the ends of flanges 12 at points adjacent the respecti ze' cross ribs 10,, In the finished rack, flan es r e he. i Qr s. her f.-

Asme e een by nspe ion o F s a d the nce .e s red.; r m h n e ny r b l ts. he ente of a pe f t on 4 n i as eeiatedlensi u ne i is le s. an h center-toecenter distance between contiguous rqssribsgl t. I u s uen t f he. method. heh se p r io ei he ack and. he. r ss. ribs wer s man pulat d hat d stan Z. ar in.- teased ndmacle. qual o distances X. As will appea fr m the .descriptionof the method, the distances. Z may be made greater than or less than distances 7 Having forged the bar or plateas. abovedescribed, metal fins. 15., indicated by the shaded surfaces. Fig. 2, are punchedout andreinoved, whereby the inverted T'formations of Figs. 1 and 2-are severed, fromtheforgedbar except at the ends-of. the. cross ribs. The longitudinal ribs may nowbe swung. outwardly from the face of the rack base until they extend at substantially right. angles, thereto. Inswinging the longitudinal ribs. outwardly, the cross ribs twist. about the ends. thereof'but. remain in substantially the same plane asthey. were. previous to. this opera:

tion. a

Theapartiallyfo-rmed rack may now be placed in. a, diewhich simultaneously squeezes. the: side channels towards each other soas to narrow base 1; the. connecting ties a-arearched in a direction longitudinally. of; thebase; andthecross tions 5. Thusl'whilethe base of the rack is made narrowerthroughout its length, the insulator. support are. extended and made longer by. arching the cross bars'outwardly and giyin'g them the form indicated in, Fig. 6.

. Thus, in-the finished rack the insulator. supperterms' a e iu s ent a Y a e. and stitute an integral part of the. base, in which they were forged.

By varying the extent to which the sides of the base are brought together, it will be apparent that the insulator support arms may be made longer than dimension- X or the center-to-center spacingof these arms, or they may be made shorter than this dimension.

of apole on which the rack. is mounted.

Asshqwn in Fig-1.. 3,. a, series; .01; oblong holes. 1-4 re pu ched in th base. n the rack. thr u h A series of arcuateiianges 13 is alsowhich bolts or screws may be passed to secure the rack to a pole or other support.

If rack 1 is made as a casting, say of cast steel,

the casting is made in the form shown in Figs. 1

and 2, except that the webs 14 which are punched out of the forged bar or plate, need not be present in the casting.

The support arms are bent out while hot at right angles to the face of the base in, the same manner as if the casting were a forging. After the. support arms are bent out to position, the

partially formed rack is placed in a die, wherein the base is made narrower, and the cross bars of the support arms arched sufficiently to give the support arms the desired length.

InE'ig. 11, an-insulator rack 16 is shown which,

in its finished form' is, in many respects similar. to: rac-ltl;-therefore similar or corresponding parts willbe designated by the. same reference characters primed. V

The method. of makin raclsiacomnrisesforeins a s r s 0i longitudinally xt nd-inc. ribs 9;"

and aserle farched;cr0ss..1ibs..10.' inabaror. plate. In this method, the crown of each arched crossrib isformed integrally with One. end of; an adjacent longitudinal rib so that in eifectaseries;

of; embossed Ys is; formed in bar. fThese. ribs form the arched cross bars 6 andthe-"bar-pnretions. 5, respectively, of; the. several support The free ends of the longitudinaliribs may; be; punched; or. perforated to provide apertures, through which arod or pin (notishown) maybe passed to hold spool type insulators in' place on the support arms.

By predeterminingthevradiusof. thearched ribs. 10" and forming the perforated ends-.of longi tudinal ribs 9. atsubstantially the center of curvature of these arches, thesdistancaX as measured from the face-ofthe base. ofzthe .rackto the center ofapertures 4: may be madeequahto.

the center-to center spacing distance. Y" of. the

the longitudinal ribs and the-arched crossribsQfi and 10., respectively, are bentoutwardly from the face of base 1 at substantially right angles theretomas indicated: in'Fig. 1 1', toform-thessupport arms 3'. These arms are spaced vertically by a dimension X center-towenter and the-arms are each dimension- Y long as measured fromthe face of the base to the centers ofaper-tures: 4 In the formillustrateddistances Y and X -are equal, but-it is apparent that distance'Y'may be made greater or less than dimension X, by merelyincreasingor decreasingthe raditof the arched crossribs 10 or by increasingor decreasingthe length of-longitudinal ribs 9 I-f'this. rack is made as a casting, the-casting maybe. formedinthe shape of the :fcrged bar or plate shown in FigS 7T3;1'l d 8;;withouttheweh8 8,, and the support arms bent hot to. onelteitiye position in a die or other: suitabledevicd;

wbilesever lfe ms.oir he inventionhayegheen rated. and eser hed-.;. t. l. ppareneto lled nth ser t at-various. mod fications and. chan es... e;.-:made without; departing either from the spirit or the scope thereof. It is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making insulator racks that comprises forming two or more ribs crosswise of a blank of metal, and forming ribs at right angles to the cross ribs and in line lengthwise of the blank, severing the lengthwise ribs and the cross ribs except the ends of the cross ribs from the blank, in turning the lengthwise ribs about the axis of the crosswise ribs until the lengthwise ribs project outwardly from the blank at substantially right angles thereto and then in curving the crosswise ribs away from the blank.

2. The method of making insulator racks that comprises forming two or more ribs crosswise of and spaced lengthwise of a blank of metal, and forming ribs at right angles to the cross ribs and in line lengthwise of the blank, severing the lengthwise ribs and the crosswise ribs except the ends thereof from the blank, then in turning the lengthwise ribs about the axis of the crosswise ribs until the lengthwise ribs project outwardly from the face of the blank at substantially right angles thereto, pressing the opposite edges of the blank toward each other to narrow the same and arching the cross-ribs to increase the distance between the outer ends of the lengthwise ribs and the face of the blank.

3. The method of forming insulator racks that comprises forming a series of T-shaped arms in a bar or casting, with the legs of each T running lengthwise and the cross bars of the T running crosswise of the bar, severing the T's from the bar or casting except at the ends of the cross bars thereof, swinging the T-shaped arms substantially about the fixed ends of the cross bars and then in narrowing the bar or casting and arching the cross bars outwardly to increase the distance between the outer ends of the T legs and the face of the bar or casting.

4. The method of making insulator racks that comprises forging a series of Y-shaped ribs spaced lengthwise of a bar with one end of each Y leg nesting in the crotch of a contiguous Y, and the ends of the V of the Y terminating adjacent the longitudinal edges of the bar, severing the Y ribs from the bar except at the ends of the V thereof, and then in bending the Y ribs at substantially right angles to the face of the bar about the fixed ends thereof.

CHARLES L. PEIRCE, JR. 

